Toy or game



W. P. LYLE.

(No Model.)

TOY 0R GAME.

Invader WILL'a/rm? Z yk 'l/LMA MM... Vviwlmlwwwwm UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

llLLlAM P. LYLE,V OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

TOY OR GAM E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 417,058, dated December 10, 1889. Application tiled April 5, 1889. Serial No. 306,054. (llo model.)

To all whom, t may concern.:

Be it knoWn that I, vWILLIAM P. LYLE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident oit' Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Toys or Games, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to games or toys of that class in which a number of balls or marbles are by skill in handling caused to enter or be lodged in a receptacle having a contracted opening, one object of my invention being to so construct a game or toy of this class as to render the successful management of the balls extremely dificult, and a further object being to preserve a record by which the number of points scored by a player can be readily determined when all of the balls or marbles have been lodged in the receptacle. These objectsl attain in the manner hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings7 in Which- Y Figure l is a perspective view of my improved toy or game apparatus in its preferred form. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same, partly in elevation. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan on the line l 2, Fig. 2; and Figs. at and 5 are views, on a smaller scale, illustrating a modified form of the device.

rlhe toy shown inFig. 1 consists of a box A, divided by a transverse partition B into two receptacles D and E, the latter being still further divided by a central longitudinal partition u. into sub compartments Eand E2, and being provided lwith a removable lid or cover j".

In the partition l, some distance lfrom the bottom ot' the same, is an opening l), and extending from this opening to the bottom of the box at a peint some distance from the outer side of the receptacle D is an inclined plane (l.

A number ot' balls or marbles c being deposited in the receptacle D, the box is manipulated by the player with the object of causing the balls 0c to ascend the inclined plane (l and pass through the opening l) into the receptacle E. The plane CZ is comparatively narroW-that is to say, its width does not materially, if at all, exceed the diameter of the ball-and the opening l) is but slightly larger in diameter than said ball, so that the successful lodging of all of the balls in the receptacle E is an operation requiring the exercise of a very considerable degree of skill in handling the toy. The upper edge of the longitudinal partition a, which divides the receptacle E of the box, is on a level With the bottom of the opening b in the partition B, and said partition is located centrally in respect to said opening b, and is preferably beveled in opposite directions on the upper edge, so that even after the Vball has passed through the opening a chance is afforded for the exercise of further skill in lodging the same in a particular one of the sub-compartments E or E2, the rule of the game being that balls lodged in one of these compartments count for the player, while balls lodged in the other compartment fail to count or count against the player.

A simpler form of my improved game 0r toy may, however, be constructed, as shoupi in Figs. 4. and 5, in which the box A has a central dome-like mound inclosing a recept-acle E for the balls, the opening I) for the passage of the balls being at the apex of this dome, the sides of which form inclined planes d, up which the balls are compelled to pass in order to reach the opening.

Owing to the curved form of the dome, balls, even when caused to ascend on one side of the dome, are liable to roll completely over the same without passing through the opening at the apex unless considerable skill is exercised in so arresting the speed of the ball when it reaches the apex that it will pass through the opening into the receptacle E beneath.

The balls .may be discharged from the receptacle E by inverting the box.

l am aware that a toy has heretofore been devised consisting oi' a disk to be held in and manipulated by the hand, and having a eentral mound with a recess or pocket at the apex and a series of balls which by the manipulation of the disk are caused to ascend the mound and enter this recess or pocket; but this toy did not possess the two chambers or receptacles separated by a partition having a contracted opening, which form essential elements of my improved toy.

IOO

A toy has been devised, however, having two chambers separated by a partition with contracted opening; but in this case the toy was not adapted to be held in and manipulated b y the hand andl had no inclined plane for directing the balls to the contracted opening in the partition. IMy invent-ion therefore consists of a toy in which all of these features are combined, for by this combination the toy is rendered susceptible of use in a manner and for a purpose Vnot contemplated by either of the previously-patented toys to which I have referred.

I therefore claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. The withindescribed gaine or toy, consisting of a series of balls, a box adapted to be held in and manipulated by the hand and having an outer supply chamberor receptacle andan inner receiving chamber or receptacle v separated from the outer receptacle bya partition having a contracted opening, and an inclined plane extending from the bottom of the supply chamberl or receptacle to the contracted opening in said dividing'-partition, substantially as specified.

The within-described game or toy, consisting of a series of'balls and a box adapted to be held in and manipulated by the hand,

and Ahaving an outer supply chamber or receptacle and an inner receiving chamber or receptacle separated from'the outer chamber by a partition having a contracted opening, and an inclined plane contracted in width and extending from the bottom of the outer or supply chamber or receptacle up to the contracted opening in the dividing-partition, substantially as specified.

3. The within-described game or toy, consist-in g of a series of balls and a box adapted to be held in and manipulated by the hand and partition ed to form two receptacles, said partition having an elevated opening of contracted area, the outer receptacle having an inclined plane of contracted width leading from the bottom of said outer receptacle up to the contracted opening in the partition, and the inner receptacle being divided into right and left compartments by a partition centrally located in respect to the contracted opening, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my naine to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

VILLIAM P. LYLE.

lith esses:

WILLIAM D. CoNNER, HARRY SMITH. 

